Prosecutors: Woman 'covered in blood' after fatally stabbing cat

A woman from Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood was "covered in blood" Friday when she was arrested for allegedly stabbing her cousin's cat to death, Cook County prosecutors said today.

Tish Coleman, 31, is charged with felony aggravated cruelty to an animal and misdemeanor domestic battery. Judge Israel Desierto ordered her held today on $75,000 bond.

Coleman and her 26-year-old cousin were fighting about 8:05 p.m. Friday in the apartment they share in the 6400 block of South Maryland Avenue when Coleman allegedly hit her cousin in the face and tore her shirt.

Coleman's cousin wrestled her outside onto a porch and shut the door, but Coleman allegedly kept making a disturbance, prosecutors said.

A short time later, another woman entered the apartment through the porch door, prosecutors said. When the door opened, Coleman's cousin's cat -- a 1-year-old with brown and white spots -- ran outside.

Coleman's cousin went outside a few minutes later and saw blood on the back stairs, but both Coleman and the cat were gone, according to court documents.

Coleman's cousin then found her cat lying on the stariwell's landing, bleeding from puncture wounds on its left side, according to court documents.

Police arrested Coleman about a block away. They said they found a Swiss pocket knife with blood on its blade in her purse.

When an officer asked Coleman about the pet, she replied, "I did nothing to the cat," according to court documents.

Coleman was arrested in 2001 for battery and simple assault and in 2008 for criminal damage to property and domestic battery, said Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak.

Coleman was also arrested for criminal damage to property in 2004 and domestic battery in 2003, Kubiak said.